The invention relates to a process for handling stacks of blanks (blank stacks), especially in conjunction with a packaging machine, in which the blank stacks rest on a base and are removed from this base in order to be processed in the pack aging machine. Additionally, the invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out this process.
In high capacity packaging machines, for example cigarette packaging machines, the handling of the packaging material is a specific problem, even more so when the packaging material is provided in the form of prefabricated stacked blanks. Cigarette packs of the hinge-lid type are formed from blanks of thin cardboard. These blanks are delivered by the manufacturer in the form of blank stacks, for example on a pallet.
The invention is directed to the problem of automatically and mechanically handling the blank stacks without any involvement of manual work. The blank stacks must be removed from the base (pallet) and introduced into the packaging process.
Known in the art are apparatus which have one or more stack holders for grasping and holding one blank stack each. The stack holders are formed from a clamping tongue resting on the underside of the blank stack, and a counter pressure means acting upon tile top side (DE-A-37 18 601). The problem with such apparatus is to move the clamping tongue underneath the blank stack which rests on a base. In the above mentioned prior art apparatus, the blank stack is deformed by a pressure piece acting upon the top side, such that a gap is formed underneath the stack on the side assigned to the clamping tongue, and the clamping tongue is introduced into this gap.